1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an audio output apparatus which is suitably applicable to, for example, a flat panel speaker. Specifically, the present invention relates to an audio output apparatus in which the position of a vibrator can be optionally shifted from one to another on a vibration member and to a vibrator to be attached to such an audio output apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Audio output apparatuses that output a sound by allowing vibrators to vibrate plate-shaped flat panels (vibration members) have been widely known in the art. Such audio output apparatuses can spread sound over wider areas than cone-shaped audio output apparatuses and thus have advantages that the sweet spots (optimum listening areas) thereof are wide.
In order to more accurately reproduce audio input, there has been a demand for an audio output apparatus to have frequency characteristics as flat as possible. That is, when an audio signal for sound whose volume (audio level) is constant at every frequency is input to an audio output apparatus and is reproduced, the closer the sound volume (audio level) at every frequency of sound reproduced by the audio output apparatus comes to a constant volume, the more accurately the audio output apparatus can reproduce the input audio.
In the audio output apparatus using a flat panel as a vibration member, the quality and spread of output sound may vary with a change in location of a vibrator to be brought into contact with the vibration member or in amount of force for pressing the vibrator against the vibration member. To realize more flat frequency characteristics, the related-art audio output apparatus uses two or more vibration members with different locations of vibrators to respectively output sounds with different frequency characteristics (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-116422 (JP 2007-116422 A). In this case, the locations of the respective vibrators are previously defined so that the frequency characteristics of output sound become more flat when the sound is simultaneously output from the respective vibration members. In addition, the arrangement of each vibrator on a predetermined position allows an audio output apparatus to output sound with the more desirable quality.